Folding toothbrush



Sept. 19, 1950 T. R. sTAcEY ErAL 2,523,073

FOLDING TOOTHBRUSH Original Filed April 26, 1946 M@ m m INVENTORS Td Siggi/gay fsner Patented Sept. 19, 1950 2,523,073 FOLDING TooTHBnUsH 'rea n. Stacey ana Roy H. Lesner, chicago, n1., assignors, by mesne assignments, to=Totebrush, Inc., Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Original'application April. 26, 1946, Serial No. 665,237, now Patent No. 2,503,924, dated April t 1946, now U. S. Patent No. 2,503,924.

One principal object of the invention isto provide a folding toothbrush having a handle portion and a brush portion foldable with respect to one i another, and novel means for locking the portions in extended position whereby a brush having sub-` stantially the same rigidity as a conventional toothbrush results, such means including members slidable with respect to the handle portion and engageable over two opposed faces of the brush portion.

Another object is to provide a folding toothbrush having a handle portion and a brush portion hinged together and including a latch for locking the parts in extended, i. e., operative, position, the actuating part of the latch being `so formed as to constitute a convenient and comfortable partof the handle.

Other objects will appear as the description proceeds.

In the drawing illustrating one embodiment of our invention:

. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the toothbrush in partially unfolded position;

Fig. 2 is a side-elevational view of the folded brush;

Fig. 3 is a side-elevational view of the brush in extended position, and locked;

Divided and this application Feb',- f ruary 20, 1947, Serial No. '729,778 l solaimvs. (C1. 15g-144) f v 2 of bristles I4, the transverse cross-sectional contour of the body being preferably substantially rectangular as shown.` 'The handle part I2, including a body portion I5, is of similar material and transverse cross section, and each of the parts I3 and I5 is provided at their juxtaposed ends with ears IS-IG and ll-I'I through apertures in which passthe pivots 'IS--IB to form a hinged connection, whereabout the .parts `II and I2 may be folded into the compact form shown inFig. `2.

To maintain operative alignment -of parts II and i2, there is provided latch means including a pad 2l, a nger 22, and a screw 23, all slidable as a unit with respect to body portion I5. Finger 22 is preferably of stainless steel for strength and resistance to rusting, 'and is slidable in aligned recesses 24 and 25 inthe portions I5 and I3', respectively. Screw 23 is preferably of stainless steel, is shoulderedto-abut the finger 22 (Fig. 6), and is threaded thereinto, the head of the screw r lying a counterbored part 25 of aperture 21 Fig. 4 is a plan view of the brush as shown in Fia 3;

' Fig. 5 is a partly elevational and partly cross- `sectional view of the brush in the position of .principal parts hereinafter for convenience referred to as the brush part II and the handle part I2. Part II includes a body portion I3` made of any suitable material, e. g., plastic composition, and has embedded therein the plurality of tufts passing through the pad 2l.V Thus nger 22 is slidable longitudinally of the brush upon corresponding sliding movement of pad 2 I. It is to be noted that by sinking the finger 22 within the recess`24, a flush surface is provided on the rear face ofthe unfolded brush, and with this the absence of objectionable projections, which would proveuncomfortable to the user. Moreover it is to` be noted that the latch operating pad is curvilinear onits exterior face to` fit comfortably within theV :lingers of the user. To afford clearance for the shankof the screw 23, the portion I5 is longitudinally slotted at 3|, and to guide the pad 2| the portion I5 (Fig. 7) and pad 2l are provided respectively with intermating tongues 3-2-32 and `grooves :t3-33. To insure against imintendedloosening 0f the screw 23 the threaded end thereof may be slightly Apeened over as is well known.

Accordingly, `when, pad `2l is to the right, as seen in Fig. 5, .the pad 2l `and finger 22 lie against opposite facesof the brush portion I3 to retain the samein extended position with respect to the handle portion I2; and when pad 2! is moved to the left, the pad and nger are freed from engagement with portion I3 to permit the latter to be folded about handle portion I 5 and into the position of Fig. 2. If desired, the outer convex face of pad 2| may be corrugated or knurled for more positive engagement by the ngers.

One of the outstanding advantages of the instant construction resides in utilizing both the latch and the latch operating pad to render the unfolded brush rigid while in use. Thus, referring to Fig. 5 it is noted that the finger 22 and pad 2|, when in locking position, embrace between them the brush portion I 3, and by careful tting of the parts, i. e., providing minimum sliding clearance, the brush portion I3' may be made quite rigid with respect to the handle portion I5.

To secure the brush snugly Within a case or receptacle (for example, as shown in our copending application referred to) the handle portion I5 may be provided with protrusions 48 (Fig. 4) on the handle portion to engage corresponding depressions in the receptacle, the-inherent elas- Y ticity of the walls thereof permitting such engagement and subsequent easy disengagement.

From the foregoing it will be comprehended that we have provided a sturdy, inexpensive foldable brush, having a minimum number of parts, I and which, when in operative position, is characy 1. A folding toothbrush comprising a handle' portion and a brush portion, hinge means interconnecting said portions whereby said portions may be folded and unfolded, means for locking said portions in unfolded position including a member slidable with respect to the handle portion and engageable over one face of the brush portion and a second member secured to and slid'able with said first member and engageable over the opposite face ofthe brush portion, said portions each having a slot therein together forming al continuous channel for receiving said first member flush with respect to the surface of said portions.

2v. A folding toothbrush comprising an elongated handle porti-on and an elongated brush portion, hinge means interconnecting said portions whereby said portions may be folded and unfolded about the axis of said hinge means, said portions having aligned, intercommunicating superficial recesses longitudinally thereof and positioned on the same side of the brush as said hinge means, a latch member frictionally engaged in said yrecesses for sliding movement therein for locking the brush in unfolded position, means frictionally abutting said portions, when said M3; Afolding toothbrush comprising an elongated handle portion and an elongated brush portion, hinge means interconnecting said portions whereby said portions may be folded and unfolded about the axis of said hinge means, said portions having aligned, intercommunicating recesses longitudinally thereof, a latch member frictionally engaged in saidrecesses for sliding movement therein for locking the brush in unfolded position, a movable pad frictionally abutting said portions, when said latch member is in locking position, for operating said member, a

rigid connection between said pad and member, and interengaging elements on said handle portion and pad for guiding said pad during movement in a direction longitudinally of the brush, said latch member being disposed adjacent one face of said portions and said pad being disposed adjacent the opposite face thereof.

4. A folding toothbrush comprising an elongated handle portion and an elongated brush portion, hinge means interconnecting said portions whereby vsaid portions may be folded and unfolded about the axis of said hinge means, each said'portion havingk at least one flat face', the faces Abeing in juxtaposition when the brush is folded and co-planar when the brush is unfolded, saidl faces having intercommunicating `aligned recesses longitudinally thereof, and a latch member lying'wholly Within the recesses and slidable therein for locking the portions in unfolded position, `-and'means for sliding said member, said meansincluding an elongated member straddling said portions on the side opposite said faces when said latch is in locking position.

f5.'A' foldable toothbrush comprising a brush portion including a plurality of bristles, and a handle portion, a hinge interconnecting said portions end to end whereby said portions may be folded one upon the other, means for rigidly locking said portions in unfolded relation, said means including an elongated slidable member substantially equal in length to said handle portion, a latching finger longitudinally substantially coextensive with said member, said member being contiguous to one face of the toothbrush and said finger being contiguous to the opposite face thereof, and a pin rigidly uniting said member and finger for joint movement to locking and unlocking position, said handle portion having a slot for` the reception of said pin the locking relation being such that said member and finger form a bifurcated support rigidly embracing said brush portion between the furcations thereof.

TED R. STACEY.

ROY I-I. LESNER..

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 27,762 Great Britain 1911 174,874 Great Britain Feb. 9, 1922 603,148 France Apr. 9, 1926 612,934 France Nov. 4, 1926 

